This invention relates to a tank carrier capable of being pulled by a farm tractor and more particularly to a tank carrier for carrying a tank capable of applying suitable liquid material to agricultural fields, while at the same time, providing structural stability and clear viewing area for the tractor operator.
Farmers in the United States of America lead the world in efficiency of food production. Each farmer in the United States can feed more people than any of his other counterparts throughout the world. This ability is due, in part, to the highly mechanized aspects of the farm in the United States. Another factor in food production is the use of liquids applied to the soil being tilled.
There are many difficulties with the efficient application of the liquids to the fields. Generally, liquids are applied from tanks by the use of sprayer, hoses or combinations thereof. The tank is usually mounted on a wheeled vehicle, which vehicle is either towed or self-propelled. The vehicle is customarily towable, because it is usually inefficient to have a self-propelled vehicle which is dedicated to this purpose only. Such a vehicle may not be used sufficiently to warrant this limitation.
If the tank is removably attached to a self-propelled vehicle, more problems are created than are solved. One problem solved is the limited use of a self-propelled vehicle. The created problems involve maintaining the stability of the vehicle with the added weight and bulk, maintaining operator visibility, and other problems. These factors render the installing and removing of the tank complicated and time-consuming--which overwhelms the advantages of the removably attached tank.
On the other hand, a towable vehicle is less expensive, due to the lack of a self-propelling means. However, in order to be truly advantageous, a towable vehicle, must not substantially interfere with common farming functions, and may even cooperate with other farm implements to serve a dual purpose on a trip around a field. It is also desirable to have adjustability incorporated into a towable vehicle so that incorporation of another implement with the tank and sprayer is possible. In fact, such incorporation may even be complementary.
Other advantages of adjustability also become clear. If the height of the vehicle is adjusted, the vehicle may be used with crops at different stages of growth and permit different liquids to be applied as required at the desired stage of growth. Wheel adjustability also permits different row widths to be covered by the same vehicle. Yet adjustability increases the complexity of the vehicle.
Furthermore, the tank for carrying the liquids to the field must be of sufficient size to carry enough liquid to cover a substantial field area. Yet the tank must also be easily transported to the field for use. These desired features can work against each other, because if a tank is large enough to carry substantial liquid, it may also be too heavy or lack sufficient maneuverability to be easily used.
Several towable vehicles are known in the art for transporting liquid tanks to fields for use in applying liquids thereto. These vehicles suffer from many defects. Some vehicles carry the tanks too high and block the view of the tractor driver while achieving the desired result of large capacity. In addition to blocking the view, such high carriage results in a high center of gravity and resultant lack of stability for the vehicle.
If there is an attempt to lower the center of gravity of the vehicle, by reducing the size of the tank, the diminished capacity causes the reduction in efficiency of liquid application to be too great. If the tank size is not reduced, it is extremely difficult to change the structure of the vehicle to accomodate the tank, while at the same time retaining the maneuverability of the vehicle.
An even greater advantage for a tank carrier can be achieved if at least one additional agricultural implement can be used therewith. The lack of stability for existing tank carriers mitigates against such additional implement use. Further, existing tank carriers can block the view of the tractor driver. It thus becomes difficult to use additional implements with existing tank carriers.
Thus, in view of the problems recited herein, it is desirable to improve the efficiency and manner of applying liquids to fields.